Patti LaBelle Pays Tribute to Tina Turner With Soul-Stirring 2023 BET Awards Performance
July 3, 2023 9:19PM EDT
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 25: Patti LaBelle performs onstage during the BET Awards 2023 at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
- Patti LaBelle forgot the words to Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” during the BET Awards tribute to the iconic singer, but she had a reason for it.
- “What if I can’t see… the words… I don’t know?” LaBelle, 79, ad-libbed early into the song, clearly squinting to see the teleprompter situated in the back of the theater.
- One video shared on Twitter showed that the teleprompter containing the lyrics was blocked by audience members. “I’m tryin,” expressed LaBelle.
- LaBelle’s struggle was one of the few issues in the three-and-a-half-hour show. The awards celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with several fast-paced performances.
- Do you think Patti LaBelle should’ve learned the words prior to the performance?
